Democrats' Senate Hopes May Ride on Tennessee Race

[Placebo]

Representative Harold E. Ford Jr. freely acknowledges that he faces many challenges in his campaign for the Senate, which may ultimately determine the Democratic Party's chances of regaining a Senate majority.

Mr. Ford, 36, is a Democrat in a conservative state that has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1990. He is the scion of a polarizing political family with an uncle under indictment on federal corruption charges, or, as Mr. Ford dryly puts it on the campaign trail, "You may have read a few things about my family." He is an African-American in a region that has not sent an African-American to the Senate since Reconstruction.

Moreover, the South has become a Republican stronghold in recent years, the castle keep for the party's Senate majority. Democrats lost five seats in the region in 2004. Of the 22 Senate seats in the South, only 4 are now held by Democrats. Party leaders are keenly aware that until they make inroads in the South, any stable majority in the Senate will be hard to achieve. But they have hopes that Mr. Ford can begin to turn the tide.

And Mr. Ford, a five-term congressman from Memphis, rouses his audiences, white and black, with little parables of political possibility: How he was driving back to Memphis one day on the campaign trail, fired up after a meeting at a church, and decided to stop and shake hands at a bar and grill called the Little Rebel. How he looked with some trepidation at the Confederate flag outside and the parking lot filled with pickup trucks, covered with bumper stickers for President Bush and the National Rifle Association.

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[davidinalameda]

1. I doubt he'll win

and honestly, from what I've seen, it won't be any great loss not to have him in the Senate either

[Renew Deal]

2. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott.

It would be a greater loss than you think.

[JohnKleeb]

3. I thought it would be Mitch McConnell

But either way I agree. We need to get a Democratic majority in the senate. I do think Ford can win Tennenesse though it will be close.

[davidinalameda]

4. Trent Lott; Bill Frist

six of one; half dozen of the other

there are much better candidates than Ford

I much rather have a real Democrat-he's a DINO

[Renew Deal]

5. Who are the other candidates in the race?

[Lasher]

6. Here is the TN page in the Research Forum

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_oet&address=358x1725

Scroll down to the US Senate Race 2006 segment. There's a boatload of candidates.

Also in the Research Forum, you might want to check out the US Senate Races 2006 page, which I updated yesterday to reflect the latest polling information. That reflects a projection of 3 Democratic pickups, 1 tie, and 1 Republican pickup.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_oet&address=358x351

[Lib Grrrrl]

8. If He's The One Who Tips The Balance Our Way

I won't complain about him being a DINO.

[Claire Beth]

11. you are wrong....

Ford is a much better candidate than either of the two GOP hopefuls. It will be a tough race, but Ford would make a good senator.

[tn-guy]

14. His biggest problem is family baggage

Ford is by all accounts bright, articulate, hard-working and earnest. He makes a very attractive candidate and would probably be a popular senator considering the sensibilities of Tennessee voters.

His biggest problem is that he appears to be the only honest member of a large, politically connected family. Both his father and uncle have had very questionable "financial arrangements" (how's that for a euphemism?) with those seeking to influence legislation. His uncle will very likely be having his trial right around peak campaign time so every other headline will be something about "Sen. Ford" and "bribery". Given that 2/3 of voters barely pay attention to politics until just before elections the confusion between Harold Ford and John Ford will likely cost Harold many votes.

[dbackjon]

17. I will hold my nose and vote for him

I was hoping for Kurita, but she couldn't raise the money.

I know we need a Dem majority, but it will take every ounce of being to pull the lever for a homophobic jerk like Ford.

[skipos]

13. Ah, the old "no difference between this dem and a republican" line

that was so inaccurate in 2000. This is TN, not CA or MA. If you are waiting for a Boxer or Fuingold to win down there, you will be waiting a long time.

Ford is eons better than the repubs he is running against. He does have an uphill battle: there have only been three blacks popularly elected to the senate, and none of them were from the south.

We want Corker to win the repub nomination, as Ford does best against him. Rasmussen has Ford trailing Corker by only 4%.

[MattP]

7. Ford

What are you talking about, you would rather have no say in the Senate and let them threaten the Filibusterer rules than to have a conservative Dem in office. You can't get a liberal elected in Tenn., I wish you could but it isn't going to happen in certain states, so you have to be happy with what you can get.

[Journeyman]

9. Welcome to DU, MattP. . .

I agree with you: We need to get what Democrats we can into office, whether they be conservative or not. Power, and the control of the agenda, depend on it. Don't expect everyone on DU to agree with that concept, however. Too many here haven't a clue about either history or how the system works and would rather "cut off their nose to spite their face" than see a candidate who doesn't match their idealized vision win an election.

[Acadia Blue]

10. I like Ford and think he would make a good senator.

[Claire Beth]

12. I agree with you and....

I like your Buddha avatar!! :)

[nasher]

15. We need this seat for a majority. I hope everyone works hard for this.

[goforit]

16. Could happen! There are more Priuses and Honda hybrids here than

there are in most other states. People are driving them everywhere.
I do believe Republicans will be voting Democrat this time.

What a turn of the tide!!!

Thanks Bush!